Identity related to living situation in six individuals with congenital quadriplegia

Purpose. This study was a preliminary examination of structural aspects of identity, particularly identity associated with living situation, in individuals who have quadriplegia due to cerebral palsy.

Method. A hierarchical classes algorithm (HICLAS) was used to construct idiographic ‘identity structure’ models for three individuals who are living in an inpatient hospital setting and for three individuals living in community-based group residences.

Results. Indices derived from the models indicate that the identity ‘myself as one who has a disability’ was structurally superordinate (i.e., resided at a high hierarchical level) for all six participants, suggesting a high level of importance of this identity in participants' sense of self. The models also indicate that while identity associated with one's particular living situation was superordinate for persons living in the hospital, it was not for persons living in community residences.

Conclusions. While conclusions based on this small sample are necessarily limited, the data suggest that identity associated with living situation might differ in structural centrality, and presumably subjective importance, for persons living in inpatient versus community-based settings.     

Building characteristics affect the risk of allergy development

Damp dwellings increase the risk for house dust mite (HDM) infestation in temperate climate zones and may be associated with an increased risk for allergic disease. The aim of the study was to assess possible relationships between allergen levels in house dust, characteristics of residence buildings and allergic diseases in children. A subsample of 12-yr-old children, having the same address in 1991 and 1996, was selected from a population-based sample of children from the Göteborg area. Health inspectors examined the residences of all the 109 children and several different building characteristics including humidity and indoor temperature were collected. Dust samples for analysis of HDM allergens were collected from the children's beds, and for analysis of cat and dog allergens from the living room. Current health status was assessed by questionnaires, interviews and skin prick tests (SPT). Dog or cat allergens were found in all houses, even in houses without such animals. HDM allergens were found in 60% of the houses, but only six of them had levels exceeding 2 μg/g dust. There was a strong association between HDM-infestation and wheeze, but not with specific sensitization to HDM. The type of building (houses when compared with flats), the ventilation system and the presence of a basement had all major implications on respiratory symptoms, atopy and HDM infestation. We can conclude that dog or cat allergens were found in all houses, and a strong association between HDM infestation and indoor environment. Building construction affected both respiratory morbidity and sensitisation independently, suggesting not only worsening of symptoms but also a causative relationship with disease development.     

Residence time distributions of solutes in the perfused rat liver using a dispersion model of hepatic elimination: 1. Effect of changes in perfusate flow and albumin concentration on sucrose and taurocholate

The residence time distributions of sucrose and taurocholate have been determined from the outflow concentration-time profiles after bolus input into an in situperfused rat liver preparation. The normalized variance (and the dispersion number) appeared to be independent of perfusate flow rate (10 to 37ml/mm) and perfusate albumin concentration (0–5%). The apparent volume of distribution for sucrose appeared to increase with flow rate but was unaffected by the concentration of albumin (0–5%) present in the perfusate. The changes in taurocholate availability with flow rate were adequately accounted for by the dispersion model, whereas taurocholate availabilityprotein binding changes required an albumin-mediated transport model to be used in conjunction with the dispersion model.This study was supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia and the Dean's MRC (NZ) Fund.     

银川市26户居室内氡污染水平调查

目的 了解银川市居民住宅氡污染水平，探讨室内氡的变化规律。方法 采用现场监测的方法，对居室内氡、TSP等指标进行24h连续监测。结果 本地区室内氡浓度平均水平较全国其他地区高；未发现室内氡浓度与建筑类型、装修材料、楼层有明显关系；室内氡浓度与TSP浓度、空气湿度呈正相关，与气温呈负相关。室内氡浓度日变化是清晨6时最高、下午17时最低。结论 建筑材料可能是导致室内氡浓度升高的主要原因；室内TSP浓度、空气湿度、温度的改变可影响室内氡浓度水平。     

青岛口岸101名外籍人员健康复查结果分析

本文报道了青岛口岸101名常驻外国人健康复查情况，介绍了监测方法及结果．提出了开展常驻外籍人员疾病监测后续管理的重要性和必要性。     

关于平均滞留时间计算的一些研究

对一次静脉注射和一次血管外给药的情况,若消除为一级速度过程,且仅发生在中室,通过微小量分析从加权平均意义上给出了平均滞留时间的计算结果,此结果与应用统计矩理论所得结果是一致的,为MRT=AUMC/AUC。且此公式只适用于消除仅发生在中室的情况,应用此法还可计算这两种给药情况下中室中的平均滞留时间和平均吸收时间。     

Exposure-response relationship of bronchial mucociliary clearance in rabbits following acute inhalations of sulfuric acid mist

Eight rabbits underwent 1 h oral inhalations of submicrometer sulfuric acid mist at concentrations ranging from approx. 100-1084 micrograms/m3, followed by measurement of the mucociliary clearance of a tracer aerosol from the bronchial tree. These data, plus those from a previous study, were used to construct an exposure concentration-response relationship for alterations in clearance produced by H2SO4. The response pattern is characterized by transient acceleration of clearance at low concentration exposures, and retardation at higher concentrations. In addition, comparison of these results with those from a similar study using human volunteers supports use of the rabbit as an appropriate model for studying mucociliary clearance alterations produced by inhaled irritants.     

On pharmacokinetics in target tissues

Based on a two-compartment organ model the total exposure in a target tissue, the mean tissue residence time and the peak time of the tissue concentration are evaluated in terms of tissue to blood partition coefficient and permeability coefficient (membrane permeability) of the drug, as well as the organ volume and blood flow. The total exposure is dependent upon the partition coefficient whereas the mean residence time is also affected by the permeability coefficient of the target organ. The peak time of tissue concentration following bolus intravenous injection appears to be mainly determined by the mean organ transit time and the time course of blood concentration. A tissue specific therapeutic ratio is defined using the concept of total exposure and the advantages of a local route of drug administration are discussed in this respect.     

Types of mean residence times

Mean residence times (MRTs) have been classified into two main groups, namely system moment MRT [MRT(S,MO] and system matrix MRT [MRT(S,MA]. There are also MRTs of individual compartments [MRT(i)] such as central or plasma compartment, [MRT(P)], and tissue compartments and the MRT of an absorption site, [MRT(A)]. Much of the literature on MRTs does not clearly indicate which MRT is being discussed. MRT(S,MO) has been termed non-compartmental, but is really based on a structured model. There are really no model-independent MRTs or steady-state volumes of distribution. For the classical two-compartment open model with central compartment input, sampling and elimination MRT(S,MO) = MRT(S,MA) for a given set of microscopic rate constants. When elimination occurs from any but the central compartment then MRT(S,MO) is not equal to MRT(S,MA). For 'first-pass' drugs it is necessary to have a model where elimination occurs from a compartment different from the central and sampling compartment. Many of the methods of estimating MRTs which have been reported in the literature to date are reviewed and some generalizations are drawn. Some uses of MRTs are indicated. These uses involve both amounts of drug in the body as well as concentrations. The relationship between MRT(S,MO) and MRT(S,MA) for the Rowland two-compartment open model with peripheral compartment elimination is: MRT(S,MA)--MRT(S,MO) = 1/(k20 + k21). Thus the system matrix MRT is always larger than the system moment MRT for this linear model, which is most useful for 'first-pass' drugs. A general equation for MRT(S,MA) of all three two-compartment open models with input into either of the compartments is (lambda 1 + lambda 2 - ki0)/lambda 1 lambda 2 where i is the compartment (i = 1 or 2) into which input occurs.     

Incidence and Characteristics of Childhood Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in Greece: A Nationwide Study (Greece)

Objectives To estimate the incidence and epidemiological profile of childhood (0–14 years) Hodgkin’s lymphoma in Greece derived by the network of childhood Hematology–Oncology departments on the basis of all 95 newly diagnosed cases during a seven-year period. Methods Seventy-one of these cases were individually age and gender matched to an equal number of controls. Results The incidence of childhood Hodgkin Lymphoma reached a relatively high figure of 7.8 per million children-years, with an age distribution (2.2 for children 0–4; 6.3 for those 5–9 and 13.9 for those 10–14-years-old) and male to female ratio (1.7:1) similar to that reported from other cancer registries. Childhood Hodgkin’s lymphoma was more common among children living in less crowded quarters (odds ratio (OR): 6.5 and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI): 1.4–30.7), among those who have changed residence 60 to 18 months before the onset of the index disease (OR: 4.4, and 95% CI = 1.4–14.0), among those whose families owned a cat (OR: 5.5, 95% CI = 1.2–25.6) but not among those whose families owned a dog and marginally more common, among those with a history of infectious mononucleosis (OR: 5.0, 95% CI = 0.6–42.8). Conclusions Our results point to infectious agent(s) as playing an etiological role but do not allow discrimination among the delayed establishment of the herd immunity hypothesis, the population mixing hypothesis or that invoking transmission of the agent(s) from the non-human reservoir. The Childhood Hematology–Oncology Group. Maria Moschovi, Hematology–Oncology Unit, First Department of Pediatrics, Athens University Medical School, ‘Aghia Sophia’ General Children’s Hospital, Athens, Greece Fani Athanassiadou- Piperopoulou, 2nd Department of Pediatrics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, AHEPA General Hospital, Greece Sophia Polychronopoulou, Department of Pediatric Hematology–Oncology, ‘Aghia Sophia’ General Children’s Hospital Athens, Greece Apostolos Pourtsidis, Department of Pediatric Hematology–Oncology, ‘Pan.&Agl. Kyriakou’ Children’s Hospital Athens, Greece Maria Kalmanti, Department of Pediatric Hematology–Oncology, University Hospital of Heraklion, Heraklion, Greece